Book Vue

With the Clifton Chronicles done, I decided it was time I did a top 5 post by one of my favorite authors, you guessed it, Jeffrey Archer. I must add, I haven't read all of his books but with whatever little knowledge I possess, I wish to reveal my top 5 reads and hope that this helps you, whether you are new to the author or are looking to read one of his books. Please note, I haven't included any of his short stories and plays here. They can make a different post, what say? So, let's begin! P.S - Click on the images to buy from Amazon.in 1. Kane and Abel My first pick has to be Kane and Abel. Although it is the first book in a series, it has to be Archer's finest work. The story includes everything from drama, romance, politics and rivalry and is sure to leave a lasting impression on the reader. A must read. 2. False Impression False Impression brings a smile to my face whenever I think of it. What an amazing story line and the climax, absolutely unpr...

Buy From Amazon.in Title:  This Was A Man Author: Jeffrey Archer Genre: Fiction, Drama Pages: 400 Publisher: Pan Macmillan UK ISBN- 13:    978-1447252252 Rating: 4.4/5 The intense Clifton chronicle continues and ends(sadly) with the last book of the series,  This Was a Man . The book takes the saga forward with heart touching moments scattered across the pages of this epic series, one like no other. Emma rises high in her carer as she is appointed the Minister of Health by Margaret Thatcher's government. But this is not the end of the line for her. Meanwhile, Harry decides to begin his final William Warwick novel which he wants to accomplish as per his late mother's wishes. Giles finds out about Karin's secret and on the other hand, Lady Virginia refuses to get out of their lives. Little Freddie is a young boy now who idolizes Giles, primarily for his flair in cricket. Seb is busy tackl...

Buy From Amazon.in Title:  Cometh The Hour Author: Jeffrey Archer Genre: Fiction, Drama Pages: 416 Publisher: Pan Macmillan India ISBN- 13:    978-1509827404 Rating: 4/5 Having  read and reviewed the previous installment of this high intense drama series, I didn't waste anytime being updated with the latest one.   Cometh the Hour , the sixth part of the Clifton Chronicles, leaves me speechless, but that's nothing new. It is Archer, what else can you expect? The book begins with the jury wanting to know the contents of Alex Fisher's letter that he wrote before he died. When the same are revealed, it changes the course of the case and Emma wins hands down. On the other hand, Giles successfully gets Karin out of Germany and reunites her with her father. He is finally enjoying his time with her when another twist in the story appears. Sebastian falls in love with an Indian gi...

Buy From Amazon.in Title:  Mightier Than The Sword Author: Jeffrey Archer Genre: Fiction, Drama Pages: 416 Publisher: Pan Macmillan India ISBN-13:  978-1447290599 Rating: 4/5 Mightier than the Sword   is the fifth book in the Clifton Chronicles series by Jeffrey Archer. A high drama story right from the start, this installment, too, doesn't let you down.  The last book left us with a tense situation on  The  Buckingham  as it set sail to New York on its maiden voyage. A bomb is planted in Emma's and Harry's cabin and is all set to destroy everything they worked hard for. The tragedy is averted just in time, but not without consequences. Harry is elected the new President of English PEN and voices his disapproval of the arrest of Anatoly Babakov, a Russian author, who is wrongly imprisoned for writing the truth about Stalin. Meanwhile, Sebastian has locked horns with Adrian Sloane of the Farthings Bank who has sworn to take him down...

Rating: 3/5 Title:  Be Careful What You Wish For Author: Jeffrey Archer Genre: Fiction, Drama Pages: 400 Publisher: Pan Macmillan India ISBN- 13:  9781447265092 Although a little delayed, this review was deemed to be put up as this book is the fourth installment in the Clifton Chronicle series. Lets get to the review. The previous book had left us all in the dark when Sebastian and Bruno get involved in an accident and one of  them dies. The story takes off from here as Major Alex Fisher, a pawn of the Argentinean smuggler, Don Pedro, is  conveniently placed among the Board of Directors of the Barrington Shipping Company . Although Emma Clifton doesn't  concur , the Board decides to go ahead with the investment in the luxury passenger liner,  MV Buckingham . With the future of the company at stake, the construction of the ship commences in Belfast....

'Be Careful What You Wish For' by Jeffrey Archer is the next book in the Clifton Chronicles series. It is due for its release mid March 2014 and is up for pre order on Flipkart for a discounted price of Rs. 299.

Rating: 4/5 Title:  Best Kept Secret Author: Jeffrey Archer Genre: Fiction Pages: 381 Publisher: Pan Macmillan India ISBN-13:  9781447231172 A long awaited sequel to 'Sins of the Father', this book continues the Clifton saga. The vote of the Lord Chancellor enables Giles Barrington to inherit his father's fortune but Harry is glad nevertheless to have Emma back in his life. Emma, with the help of Derek Mitchell, begins her search for the little girl who allegedly was her father's illegitimate child and adopts her. Sebastian, Emma's and Harry's son, is more than happy to have a sister whom he affectionately looks out for. Meanwhile, Giles gets busy with the General Elections to save his seat in the House of Commons but he is in for a nasty surprise when he finds out that his old nemesis, Alex Fisher, is contesting against him. Seb and his friend Bruno finish school and are awaiting a scholarship from Cambridge when Bruno's father...

Jeffrey Archer's third book in the Clifton Chronicles series is up for pre-order on Flipkart. It is scheduled to release by the end of March 2013.

Rating: 4/5 Title:  The Sins Of The Father Author: Jeffrey Archer Genre: Fiction Pages: 384 Publisher: Pan Macmillan India ISBN-13:  9781447209225 I cannot believe I forgot to write the review of this amazing sequel to the Clifton Chronicles! Having realized that, I will quickly get down to it. The story continues from where Mr. Archer left it dangling ( that is so unfair to us readers!) in 'Only Time Will Tell'. Harry Clifton assumes the identity of Tom Bradshaw but soon realizes his mistake when he is arrested for murder. Sefton Jelks, an acclaimed lawyer of New York, tricks him and Harry is tried and sent to jail. Inspite of being his only way out of this mess, Harry wouldn't reveal his true identity to defend Emma. On the other hand, Emma gives birth to Harry's son. When she visits Maisie, Harry's mother, she notices an unopened letter with Harry's handwriting on it. She travels to New York assuming...

Rating: 4/5 Title:  Only Time Will Tell Author: Jeffrey Archer Genre: Fiction, Historical Pages: 388 Publisher: Pan Macmillan India ISBN-13:  9780330535670 This book reminds me why I can never get enough of Archer’s ingenuity. Archer, as is known, is an excellent storyteller and after this book all I have to say is, there can be no one like him. ‘Only Time Will Tell’ is the first volume of the “The Clifton Chronicles” series. Harry Clifton is a child who, despite his poor financial condition, manages to attend the best schools due to his extraordinary singing talent and his mother’s hard work. People around him help from time to time with either money or advice and teach him how to handle life’s ups and downs which shapes him for his future. Like Old Jack Tar, a loner, who is particularly fond of Harry. Maisie Clifton, Harry’s mother, is a doting and hard working mom who determinately works many jobs to afford her son’s education. He meets his ...

Rating: 3/5 Title:  And Thereby Hangs a Tale Author: Jeffrey Archer Genre: Fiction Pages: 273 Publisher: Pan Books IS BN-13:  9780330453141 An excellent collection of fifteen short stories by Jeffrey Archer. Again, some of them are inspired by true incidents. But this time, the stories are a step more interesting and refreshing maybe because they are from various parts of the world. There is one based in India too. Some of my favorite stories are ‘The Queen’s Birthday Telegram’, ‘High Heels' and 'Members Only'. While a couple of stories are predictable, the greater part of the book is definitely worth a read. Last word – my favorite short story collection by Archer.

Rating: 4/5 Title:  Paths of Glory Author: Jeffrey Archer Genre: Fiction, Suspense, Thriller Pages: 400 Publisher: Pan Books IS BN-13:  9780330511667 Paths of Glory is an interpretation of the life of George Mallory. This book claims that Mallory realized his lifelong dream of conquering Mount Everest 29 years before Sir Edmund Hillary and Tensing Norgay achieved their feat. The topic has always remained a controversy since 1924 when Mallory and his fellow Andrew Irvine attempted to reach the summit of Mt. Everest but never returned alive. They were last seen by Noel Odell (another mountaineer climbing behind them) when they were around 1000 meters below the peak of the mountain before disappearing into an extreme storm heading their way. Whether they actually reached the top or not, continues to remain a mystery till date. It was not until 1999, when Irvine’s and Mallory’s frozen bodies were found that the debate fired up again. Efforts ar...

Rating: 3/5 Title:  Cat O'Nine Tales Author: Jeffrey Archer Genre: Fiction Pages: 255 Publisher: India Book Distributors ISBN-13 :  9780330449625 Cat O’Nine Tales is another set of twelve interesting short stories by Jeffery Archer. As with his previous short story collections, this book too has a few stories he picked up during his prison days. Some good ones include ‘Don’t drink the water’, ‘Maestro’, ‘The Alibi’ and ‘In the eye of the Beholder’. It is a good read although I found a couple of them too lengthy for a ‘short’ story collection. Nevertheless, Archer gives us an engaging set of stories once again.